An Elusive Evening

“Wipe your hooves please! Do be careful to mind the carpet I laid it out for a reason!”

Applejack snorted as she fastened the wagon of dirt to Big Macintoshs collar. “Listen sugarcube, I’m helpin’ you build this cellar ‘cause your my good friend. But when we’re haulin’ dirt in and outta here don’t get all fussy at me for makin’ a mess.”

Big Macintosh silently pulled the cart across the room to the store entrance. Since beginning work earlier this month on there was a spat between his sister and Rarity nearly every other day over how much of a mess the construction was making. Hauling the wagon out of the doorway he wisely decided to that now would be a good time to dawdle outside than sit around for the brewing argument.

“Please Applejack, it would be more than kind of you to just make sure the dirt doesn’t track off the carpets onto my tiled floors,” Rarity hissed through gritted teeth.

The orange pony stamped a hoof. “Ya’ll know this IS dirt. This stuff gets everywhere like it or not. Jus’ accept that dirt will be dirt an’ not all of it’s gonna make it outta your store without settlin’ on the floor. Even if ya get me to wipe down my hooves here” she lifted a dirty foreleg, “which ya ain’t, the job will take twice as long.”

Rarity growled, looking away. “Fine then. I’ll just have to spend the better part of a week cleaning up this mess before the Boutique re-opens with its expanded inventory.”

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief. “Thankee for finally understanding. I swear yer getting’ more antsy by the day.”

“I am not antsy!” retorted Rarity walking to the back of the shop behind the stage. Macintosh re-appeared at the doorway with now empty cart, looking around nervously for any signs of that angry white unicorn before trotting over to his sister.

Rarity sat down on the trunk behind her little stage, huffy. Applejack certainly had an eye for reading moods, even if she was being less than subtle as of late. Since completely dropping her male persona she’d been terribly irritable to everypony around her. Regular sex just didn’t cut it anymore once the pleasure of control and dominance had been introduced to her. It was tough to find the enjoyment she once had when she’d been with Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy,” whispered Rarity aloud, heart speeding up a bit. Despite her clever name for her alter-ego ‘Elusive’, that was definitely not fitting for how often Rarity had cast that spell to return to that male identity. The whole thing had started off with a bang. That hectic mess of love-making under the hot stage lights had sparked a fire inside her, and she was hopelessly enamored with her quiet yellow friend. Excursions to her cottage in the dead of night had jumped from sparse to a habitual series of visits.

The very farthest was inviting her to Hoofington for a three day weekend under the guise of Photo Finishs newest model picked from a hat. All pretenses of going to the show were dropped upon arrival in the hotel. Instead they spent all time together in the comforts of their hotel suite, spending their day making love for hours on end. It was bold. It was fun. It was exhausting. It was the most amazing three days of life she was happy to live.

Swinging her legs against the trunk she sighed, lost in those happy past thoughts. Of course it all had to end. That couldn’t go on forever despite how happy they both were. Concluding the trip to the hotel she slowed her use of the spell considerably until stopping completely. The urges were still there, strong, waiting to bubble forth nearly every time she was with Fluttershy. Spa days were true turmoil, having to pretend to chat idly with the Pegasus who was not at all secretive about how much she liked her ‘brother’ or the things they’ve done. It was all she could do to prevent her hooves from slipping down her haunches in the hot baths as various retellings of all their activities were parroted back to her from the pony she’d done them to.

“RARITY!”

The shout jolted her back to reality, and off the trunk. “APPLEJACK! I was clearly lost in thought. Yelling your head off is simply a barbaric way of garnering a ladies attention.”

Applejack was less than sympathetic. “Well pardon me missy, I’m not too partial to shirkin’ work when my boss is off in La-La land. Which ya’ll seem to be visitin’ a lot lately.”

“What is it then!?” snapped Rarity, fussing with her mane.

“Permission to take a break? We’ve dug out fourteen cartloads as of six minutes ago,” she replied plainly, motioning to the door. “Can I ask ya why the past few weeks ya been so darned odd for?”

“Odd?” repeated Rarity, more spitting the word than saying it. “What do you mean odd?”

Applejack balked, realizing her incorrect choice of vocabulary. “I uh, I meant…spacey. Yeah, that’s it! You’re bein’ awful spacey as of late.”

Not saying anything, Rarity turned around on the trunk. Acknowledging her silence as admittance, Applejack continued

“It’s ‘cause ya’ll miss Fluttershy right?”

That pushed a button. “Don’t we all? I still can’t believe she just…up and left back to Cloudsdale four months ago. I’ve been meaning to visit but I can’t leave my business behind since it’s gotten so much busier and I feel absolutely terrible she’s gone and I hope she’s okay and I just wonder what’s been going on with her life!”

Applejack blinked. “What’s yer brother been up to? The one she’s been gaga over a few months ago.”

“Struggling in Trottingham per usual,” she replied quickly. “I’m sure he misses her too. After all they’re in love according to Fluttershy.”

“Yeah, I heard that from her too, can’t wait to meet him myself. Boy is he gonna be surprised,” said Applejack with a huge grin “Although if he’s anything like you I’m not sure how he’ll be.”

Raritys ears perked up. “Say what now?”

“Fluttershy flew home from her parents place this mornin’ and she’s been home at her cottage for the day. She’s comin’ over to say hi any minute now!” announced Applejack with a smile.

Bolting upright, the ivory coated unicorn dashed around her store trying to clean up the dirt to make a good impression for her friend. Rarity didn’t know what Fluttershys been up to but all those thoughts had been worrying. Was it a nervous breakdown? Did she give up on love after trying to silently break everything off? Could she look her friend in the face?

“Hello everyone!” cried out a familiar voice.

Rarity cringed, knowing full well who the voice belonged to. She heard Applejack say hello back. Turning around, she slowly faced her friend she hadn’t seen for months.

“Fluttershy!” she shrieked, her forced smile disappearing “Oh my stars! What have you done to yourself?”

Fluttershy blinked hard. “Um…what do you mean Rarity?”

“You’ve gone to fat dear! Oh goodness gracious if I had known I would’ve helped you sooner instead of letting this happen to you!”

“Oh, um, I don’t think you understand…” said Fluttershy quietly, trotting over to the panicky unicorn slowly.

“One thing leads to another and another and everything is topsy-turvy. This is my fault. I should never have done this to you,” ranted Rarity digging through her trunk of books. “I know I had some health books by Dr. Ramkins in here just let me find it and I’ll help you drop that weight in no time.”

Chuckling to herself, Fluttershy continued towards her friend. “Rarity let me explain, please.”

“Nononono. I simply refuse to let you be like this. Eating the pain away is a horrific thing to do. Don’t you worry about it. Raritys here for you!”

Fluttershy was right behind her now. “Rarity.”

“We’ll do walks. Exercise. Heatlhy foods-“

Fluttershy stood next to Rarity. “I think you should listen,”

“No more Pinkie parties although I’m sure she has one planned alread-what are you doing?!”

Unfurling a wing, she rested it over Raritys lowered head and pulled it against her bulging sides. Rarity struggled a little, uncertain of what her friend was doing.

Then she got kicked in the face.

“Fluttershy you…” Rarity looked up to see her smiling friend. “This…you…but you always said.”

“I know I know. I lied to you. I’m…sorry,” she admitted quietly, “I never wanted to talk about those things because I was too shy. Too scared to even talk to strangers, much less a boy. So I made up that I was barren as an excuse hoping you wouldn’t, um, have to get me to talk about those things.”

Still pressed against the side of her belly. Rarity couldn’t talk. She was speechless. Suddenly everything was coming together and falling apart all at once. Fluttershy continued.

“Now because of your brother I’m going to be a mother! It’s what I’ve always wanted to happen. Animals are cute on their own but my house feels so empty all the time. Having some cute baby foals to take care of on my own is going to be a little challenging and I was really upset at first when I fell out of touch with Elusive, but I think I’m over it. Although I really do like him, my parents explained to me that the relationship was probably, um, superficial,” her voice dropped a little. “It’s not a big deal. I’m a big girl. I can handle it. I’m happier now! Are you happy for me too Rarity?”

Pulling away from her friends side, Rarity asked shakily “Did…did you say foals?”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “Twin girls! Isn’t that just fantastic!”

A hoof to her forehead Rarity fell backwards, fainting to her filthy tiled floor. Fluttershy gasped, looking to Applejack.

“Um…oh my, do you think she’s going to be okay?”

Applejack smiled, putting an ear to Fluttershys sides. “I’m plenty sure she’ll be jus’ fine. Ya’ll know she’s so danged dramatic.”

THE END